The Girl and The Man

"The girl" was misfortuned enough to be called "the girl". She sat in her mundane tower all day, looking out of an opaque window. That's how she would escape. When she stared out dreamily she could see the dewy speckled grass and the swaying birch ribbon. She could see the snowy peaks that opened a gateway to the yolky sun every evening. The waxy flowers that were nestled in the undergrowth sung to her and she smiled back delightfully. Everything outside her world of greys was lavender and hazy and golden and misty.

When the velvety blanket of shining stars settled onto her world. She let herself drown into sleep-a magical world.

Then in the morning when the rosy dawn light spilled onto the grass, Mrs. rung her rusty cowbell and all the orphans woke one by one.

The girl was good. She did all her chores, carefully and didn't stare into the silverware too long. She couldn't. It would ruin her fleeting hour of the day. Where she could blow soapy bubbles and watch their suds glide onto the little brook at the back of the birches.

So at noon, she ran out the doors, her coal locks tied loosely and eyes twinkling with a radiance that not even a sun could shine. She picked up a few primroses tucked them in her hair then skipped down to the little brook.

She was about to take out the little pearly wand when she saw a figure.

First, it was just curly coal hair. Then came the big hazel eyes. Then he came.

"Dad!!!" the girl ran up to him. Hugging his trousers. This was the exact image on the faded picture by her bedstand.

"Umm, hello there." said the man, smiling, wrinkles creasing at the corners of his lashes, "I better get going now, I have a meeting at the orphanage, up there."

"I'm from the orphanage!" half shouted the girl.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I have to go." sighed the man.

The girl imagined this perfect image. She would run to him. He would run to her. They would smile and cry.

The girl was crying but in a sad way, not the happy tears that she imagined. She was supposed to instantly adore him. She didn't know what to do now. She ran up to her room. Leaving her soap and her fleeting hour. Then she sat, close the blinds and cried. She cried herself into a world where everything was made of despair.

Her eyes were misty until the world turned dark and indigo. Finally, she wiped her rosy cheeks and fell into her bed.

The next morning was the same as the last one. She did all her chores. She didn't stare at the silverware at all and at noon she staggered outside and sat down on a little bench near the purple misty harbour. First, all she saw were her big eyes wrinkled with red lines and a miserable frown painted on her face in the water rippled by a pebble she threw.

Then she saw a shadow. A carriage with galloping horses. She turned around.

Two hazel mares were leaping through the birch ribbon, she ran up to them and saw the man from yesterday. She couldn't dare look, she sighed and ran away.

When all the little orphan girls ran into the building once again. They were told to sit down on brass chairs in the little stadium.

On the stage was the coal haired man, his eyes were twinkling with a doubtful hesitant joy, and his hands were clenched nervously together.

Mrs. Tara and a few other ladies ran up to the stage dressed in colourful dresses.

"Please welcome, Mr. Mac'Allister." she paused waiting for applause.

The girls applauded slowly.

"He is looking for his long lost daughter."

The girl scavenged her pockets for her note that she held on to. The little one with an inked heart and the special two words. She couldn't find it.

"He gave her a note, one with a heart on it. If any of you have that stand up," announced Mrs. Tara.

The girl watched as a girl with auburn-haired stood up. Her body sizzled with anger. She held up the girl's note. Her note!

The girl wanted to shout, she wanted to run away with her father. She wanted to live happily ever after. Like those silk covered princesses.

Then she remembered the little picture in her bedstand. She was about to stand up when she saw that that notorious lizard was holding that too!

She sighed and watched her walk up onto the stage, plotting her move.

The auburn-haired girl skipped up to the stage, with only one glance at the girl.

"That's mine!" yelled the girl loudly.

Mrs. Tara jogged up to the girl, her shiny heels, clicking. She was a middle-aged woman with shining strands of summer blonde hair and clear blue eyes.

"You might be disappointed hon' but that's hers." smiled Mrs. Tara.

The girl watched, anger fuming inside her like an active volcano. She watched as the girl smiled occasionally. She watched as the man observed the girl.

Then a sweet soft memory popped into her head, the girl welcomed it but slowly dissipated.

The next day the girl watched as the auburn lizard packed her things up. The day after that she watched the auburn lizard smile and giggle as the lizard and the man loaded their luggage into the carriage held by the dreamy mares.

Finally, a soft rosy memory popped into her head once again.

It was a beautiful day. Shining sun and all. The little slender birches were just sampling.

"I need to go. I love you. By the time you count to infinity, I'll be right here." smiled the man.

Her dad!

She dropped her silverware and ran down the pebbled walkway to the carriage.

"Dad!" she yelled with tears in her eyes, "Remember that day when you dropped me off. You told me to count to infinity!"

"A-All-Allyssa!" mumbled the dad.

Then that perfect moment happened. The small child ran into his arms and he ran and picked her up. They twirled, he held her up like an eagle and they both cried happily, their eyes speckled with droplets.

And then they both hopped into the carriage and let the horses gallop them into the unknown world past the gateway to the sun.

Happily.

Ever.

After.

And Allyssa knew, right then and there. That some dreams do come true.